Household food insecurity associations with pregnancy hypertension, diabetes mellitus and infant birth anthropometric measures: a cross-sectional study of Iranian mothers

ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between food insecurity on pregnancy and its outcomes.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 700 Iranian mothers. Household socioeconomic status, prenatal information and household food security status were assessed using questionnaires. Data analysis was applied by SPSS version 22.

Results: The results of the study showed a significant association between food insecurity with gestational diabetes mellitus. The results also showed a significant association between birth weight, and height with pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Conclusion: food insecure women should be recognized, and receive appropriate training and assistance.

KEYWORDS:

• Food security
• pregnancy-induced hypertension
• gestational diabetes mellitus
• birth weight

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Ahmad Reza Dorosti for providing us the questionnaire which is used in this study and special thanks to Miss Samaneh Ansari, Miss Tandis Ahmadi and Miss Bahare Aminnejad for their sincere cooperation in this project.

Disclosure statement

Authors have no conflict of interests.

Ethical approval

The Research Council and Ethical Committee of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences is approved this research, and it is adapted from a master’s thesis.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grant from in Qazvin University of Medical Sciences.